Diplomatic Row Erupts Over Mumbai Talks

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has strongly defended his decision to travel to Mumbai to meet United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, dismissing opposition characterizations of the meeting as a "summoning."

Speaking at a prominent global summit, Jaishankar expressed bewilderment over the political controversy surrounding the venue of the high-level diplomatic engagement. Secretary Rubio visited India from October 20 to 22, holding extensive discussions in Mumbai and Jamnagar aimed at deepening the strategic partnership and advancing bilateral trade negotiations.

Historical Precedents Cited

Directly addressing remarks made by senior opposition figures like Rahul Gandhi, the External Affairs Minister pointed to established historical precedents to counter the narrative of impropriety.

"If going out of Delhi to meet a foreign leader or a foreign counterpart is summoning, I can give you a lot of examples," Jaishankar stated. He specifically highlighted former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's journey to Shimla in 1972 to meet Pakistan's Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for the signing of the Shimla Agreement, alongside former Minister Salman Khurshid hosting Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in Jaipur in 2013.

"We are adults, let's have an adult conversation," he remarked, urging political adversaries to move past partisan rhetoric on foreign policy matters.

Trade Deal Status: In the 'Last Mile'

Beyond the political back-and-forth, the diplomatic talks in Mumbai yielded significant focus on the proposed India-US trade pact. Negotiating teams have been actively working since early 2025 to bridge tariff frictions, eliminate non-tariff barriers, and enhance market access.

Providing an update on the ongoing negotiations, Jaishankar noted that the trade agreement is currently traversing its "last mile," while adding a customary cautionary note that "it's never done till it's done."

"What you've heard not just from Secretary Rubio, but from Minister Piyush Goyal, from others, from me, is that we are moving towards it. But, as I said, often the last mile or the penultimate miles do pose their challenges. I think the negotiating teams are working through them now," Jaishankar explained, declining to elaborate on specific technical hurdles.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal earlier confirmed that the first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement has been finalized and is currently undergoing legal drafting as both nations eye stronger commercial ties.